By CHRIS MORRIS
Sam Anderson’s alma mater didn’t have a school song or a top 20 basketball team. But it did teach many valuable lessons to a young man who was determined to succeed in the restaurant business.
“I guess you could say I came from the school of hard knocks,” Anderson said with a laugh. “This opportunity presented itself, so I went for it.”
That leap of faith proved to be very successful. Fast forward 25 years. Anderson is gearing up to celebrate an anniversary that some may have considered impossible in 1985.
As founder and owner of Sam’s Food & Spirits along Payne Koehler Road, in New Albany, Anderson has come a long way from his days of working in a fast food kitchen as a teenager.
“I started working in the restaurant business when I was 15 and decided this is what I wanted to do,” Anderson said.
And he has done it quite well.
Sam’s Food & Spirits has enjoyed plenty of success and growth over the past 25 years, and Saturday, the owner wants to reward his loyal customers. He will be rolling back the prices to 1985 on some of his favorite items including his fish dinner, chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks. There will even be a few draught beers discounted to 1985 prices on that day.
“I’ve been blessed to have loyal customers and employees stick with me,” he said. “We just wanted to have a customer appreciation day.”
Anderson purchased the building — which at the time was a German restaurant — in 1985 and transformed it into Sam’s Food & Spirits. He said at the time, there was not much in the way of businesses or activity in the area. But he had a dream and was determined to see it through.
“This was like the edge of town,” he said. “There was really no casual dining options on this side of town. I guess when you are 25 you don’t realize the risks until you do it.”
But with the risks come rewards. Sam’s quickly became a Southern Indiana favorite by offering a family dining area and sports bar under the same roof. Having good food at reasonable prices also helped drive business, Anderson admits.
But he refuses to rest on his laurels. He has made several changes to the restaurant and the menu over the past two decades. This week workers are putting the final touches to a small area next to the bar that will be for non-smokers and kid friendly. However, Anderson said the things that made his restaurant successful will not change.
“We have to stay fresh and a good option for people,” he said. “We’ve been able to hold our own ... 2009 was not a great year. We have more challenges now. People only has so much to spend when they go out.”
So, why has the restaurant been able to survive when others haven’t?
“We have tried to stay really active in the community and be involved,” he said. “And I think we offer a good product.”
Anderson admits he is working more hours at the restaurant today than he did 10 years ago, when he was battling burnout and frustration.
Anderson joined forces with Main Street Management in 2000 — the group that owns and operates the Bristol Bar & Grille. He said merging with the group was “his choice.”
“My kids were at an age where they were involved in activities and I was getting a little frustrated,” he said.
Sam’s employs 50 full-time workers, many of whom have been with Anderson for several years. He said having loyal and dedicated employees help make the restaurant successful. Some have even gone on to open businesses of their own.
“We try to be the best restaurant we can be,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of turnover like a lot of restaurants have.”
While he continues to make improvements to his restaurant at 3800 Payne Koehler Road, Anderson plans on opening a second location in Highlander Point this year.
As for the future, Anderson said he wants his restaurant to strive to be the best. He will make only one guarantee however — that he plans on being there to guide it along the way.
“I figured out at 50 years old that this is what I want to do,” he said with a smile.
